Chipotle Mexican Grill, 3409 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, Ca. 91107, telephone: (626) 351-6017

If you like Baja Fresh, Panda Express and Subway, you may like the Chipotle Mexican Grill. If you like King Taco or places like Mijares, then you may not like the Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Chipotle serves what they call made to order tacos and burritos and nothing else. You join the heard in line, walk past trays of pre fixed and cooked ingredients, point to what you want and they add the items to heated corn or flour tortillas. Sometimes the ingredients are fresh and sometimes they have been sitting there in the warming trays drying out. The chicken, carne asada, barbacoa and carnitas meats do not seem to be of very high quality and are fairly tough and chewy and without much flavor. The beans have, to me, a slightly odd flavor and the rice is basically tasteless.

I guess, if you are in a big rush and you want some cheap quasi Mexican food Chipotle might be better than Taco Bell, however, I would rather take a few minutes more and stop at King Taco or one of several Mexican stands that serve better food.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
USA City Directories